Starring
Sean Harris, Alun Armstrong. Directed by Matthew Holness. (2018/87
min).
AVAILABLE
ON DVD FROM
Review
by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀
Sometimes
the effectiveness of a horror film depends on what the viewer brings
to the table. For me, Possum was a gut punch.
What
I personally brought to the table were life-threatening heart &
lung issues that happened about a decade ago. Without getting into specifics, I was
in the hospital for months. When not in an induced coma, I was pumped
with plenty o' drugs. Complicating matters was the fact I was an
alcoholic at the time and enjoyed a wide variety of withdrawl
symptoms. My favorites were the hallucinations, most of which I
vividly remember to this day.
What
makes Possum such an unnerving experience - for me, anyway - is that it plays a lot like those same hallucinations. It's
like writer/director Matthew Holness captured my DTs on film, right
down to the giant spider that lurked in the corner of my hospital
room to pass judgment on me.
 |
| A cinch to win this year's World's Ugliest Dog contest. |
In
the film, the "spider" is named Possum, a large puppet
owned by Philip (Sean Harris), an emotionally unstable puppeteer who
returns to the ramshackle house where he grew up (and his parents
died in a fire years earlier). With giant hairy legs and humanoid
face, Possum is a horrific creation that may or may not be a figment
of Philip's imagination. As the story unfolds, we get the increasing
impression Possum might be his conscience. Either way, Possum is a
heavy burden, but despite Philip's efforts to destroy it, the puppet
always returns. Maurice (Alun Armstrong) is Philip's nasty, abusive
uncle who also lives in the house (or does he?). Though not remotely
welcome, Philip makes no attempt to evict the old man. Meanwhile,
a teenage boy goes missing and, based on his past, Philip appears to
be a suspect.
 |
| Sean Harris channels his inner-Bela Lugosi. |
Light
on dialogue and exposition, Possum unfolds like one of those
nightmares in which we're helplessly swept along by forces beyond our
control. Like those dreams - or my hallucinations - we aren't
necessarily scared in the traditional sense. Instead, horror is created by instilling unease
in the viewer, primarily through haunting imagery, an eerily
effective music score and a protagonist we never trust. But again, what constitutes true horror
depends on what the viewer brings. Unremittingly bleak, narratively
vague and very deliberately paced, I imagine many viewers will find
Possum pretentious, boring and frustratingly ambiguous.
Because
of my own past experiences, I found Possum to be slow-burning
nightmare fuel.
Possum itself is one creepy-ass puppet that grows increasingly
sinister as the narrative unfolds. The film isn't for everybody, but
patient, adventurous viewers will find some of its disturbing imagery
unforgettable.
EXTRA
KIBBLES
FEATURETTES
- Behind-the-scenes footage along with cast & director
interviews.
TRAILER
KITTY CONSENSUS:
PURR-R-R...LIKE A GOOD SCRATCH BEHIND THE EARS
(though some will totally disagree)
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